


If You Need Me Call Me

by universal_reno



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition: The Aftermath, Cara Dune is a good lady bro, Cute Kids, F/F, Fluff, Gen, I Don't Even Know, Mando didn't sign up for this, Not Canon Compliant, Single Parents, Temper Tantrums, Terrifying Kids, possibly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:28:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21656026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/universal_reno/pseuds/universal_reno
Summary: Being a single dad isn't easy
Relationships: Cara Dune & The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV), Cara Dune/Omera (The Mandalorian TV)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 293





	If You Need Me Call Me

**Author's Note:**

> Had to jump on the Baby Yoda cute train. I started out trying to write something funny but it kinda went and took a mini feelstrip. 
> 
> Apologies if I got the helmet thing wrong. Like, is Mando allowed to take it off around anything breathing? Dogs? Babies? Birds? Particularly intelligent trees? The wiki didn't tell me these things! TT__TT

“He won’t stop crying!”

The voice that came through Cara Dune’s encrypted com channel was desperate bordering on frantic. Certainly not what she was used to hearing from the man who’d helped her take out an AT-ST and an entire squad of Klatooinian raiders without needing so much as a pause to catch his breath.

“I did you try feeding him? I dunno. Maybe he’s tired.” Cara was certainly tired. She sat halfway up and glanced out the window to confirm that yes, the moonlight was still glinting off the ponds outside. She rubbed her eyes and looked down at the communicator. The screen spoke of an ungodly hour both here and galactic standard.

“Yes I fed him! He won’t eat anymore. And he won’t sleep. Or sit still. Keeps getting into the controls. Tried to set us on a direct course for the sun of the Canti system earlier. And you know how he can do that Force thing…”

He had the helmet off from the sounds of it. Interesting. How old did another being have to be before Mando’s weird rules kicked in? A piercing wail filtered through the com and Cara cringed. If she didn’t know better she’d have sworn there was some sort of alarm going off in Mando’s ship.

“Try singing to him? Anyway, how would I know?” Cara was already dragging herself out of bed and searching for her boots. This situation required an expert opinion. She shivered when the night air hit her as she set out for Omera’s hut.

Another despondent wail came through the com, drowning out her friend’s increasingly desperate attempts to quiet the Child. It set her teeth on edge.

“How long as he been making that sound? Is he…bleeding or anything?” The kid certainly sounded like he was being stabbed, but then in her limited experience babies sounded like that a lot of the time.

“No. Not that I know of. What if he’s sick? What if he’s dying? He’s been at it for three hours.” It was clear she was dealing with a man at the end of his rope, though after three hours of that racket she was hardly surprised. Wouldn’t have blamed him if he broke down crying right along with the kid.

“Hey, it’ll be alright. I’m sure he’s not dying.” She was in no way sure. “Just hang on a second.” She knocked on Omera’s door as quietly as she figured she could get away with. No reason to wake the whole village.

A moment later Omera appeared in the doorway, wrapped in an old cloak with her hair falling in messy waves around her face. Cara couldn’t help the absolutely adoring smile that tugged at her lips. She gave the smaller woman a quick kiss on the cheek and sighed happily when Omera snuggled against her.

“Everything alright, love?” Omera looked up at her through her lashes, too content and sleepy to be truly concerned despite the weird hour.

“Yeah babe, it’s fine. It’s just, I got Mando on the line here and he’s having some…baby issues. His kid won’t stop crying and may or may not also be trying to kill them both.”

Omera gave her a look that was equal parts perplexed and amused, but winced as the racket coming through the com seemed to increase in pitch. The pair retreated back into the warmth of the hut, Cara keeping the communicator pressed against her chest to muffle noise and avoid waking Winta. Once they were safely shut in Omera’s room she sat on the bed and Omera curled up against her.

“Let me talk to him.” She took the communicator. “Dyn? It’s Omera. Cara said you’re having some trouble with the little one.”

Her voice was kind and reassuring. The Mandalorian sounded a bit less fazed just from hearing her, though the ungodly wailing continued in the background.

“It’s been hours. I’ve tried everything. Please help.”

“Oh, the poor thing. He really doesn’t sound very happy.”

Cara wasn’t entirely sure whether she was referring to the Child or the Mandalorian. The statement was equally accurate in either case.

“Can I see him?” Omera continued.

“Yeah. Just give me a second.” There was a faint rustling and scraping of metal as he presumably put the helmet back on, nearly drowned out by the kid’s screeching until it abruptly stopped.

“Mando? Did you do something to the com? Or the kid?” Cara peered over Omera’s shoulder as the screen of her communicator filled with a dimly lit image of their friend.

“He stopped.” The Mandalorian hardly dared to breathe lest something set the Child off again. He was tempted to close the com link for fear it would disturb whatever fragile truce he and the kid had apparently somehow reached, but it was good to see Omera and Cara’s faces on the screen and he needed all the reassurance he could get at the moment. He turned so the kid was visible to them. In the background his ship looked like it had been hit by a small tornado.

A small green tornado whose face lit up when he saw Omera looking at him on the screen. He chirped happily, ears going up as he reached for the device. The Mandalorian held it closer until he could tap a tiny claw against the screen, almost impossibly gentle after the tantrum he’d just been having.

“Well hello there little one!” Omera traced her own thumb over the screen and Cara hid her face in the other woman’s hair to hide her smile. The entire exchange was so dorky but also so damn adorable. On the other end of the line the Child cooed, then stuck the communicator in his mouth.

The Mandalorian reacted without thinking and retrieved the device, then froze. This would make the screaming start again. He knew it. He held his breath and waited. The kid’s ears drooped for a moment in disappointment, but he only hopped down from the console he’d been perched on to wrap his arms around the Mandalorian’s leg and nuzzle against the Beskar. The Mandalorian hesitated for a moment but finally picked him up. The Child settled against his chest, leaning up just enough to nudge his own head against his caregiver’s helmet, then curled up in his arms cooing happily.

Omera’s quiet laughter filtered through the com. The Mandalorian held it up again so both he and the Child could see her.

“Please don’t go. I just need a minute. Please.”

He sounded utterly exhausted. Omera felt something twist in her chest. He was trying so hard at something he was so clearly not at all prepared for, and now he was doing it on his own. She wished more than anything he was still in the village where she could do more to help. 

“It’s alright. I’m not going anywhere. I don’t think he’ll start crying again, though.”

“What makes you think that?” The Mandalorian was pretty sure of the opposite outcome.

“You had your helmet off before, didn’t you? Had he ever seen you without it?”

“I…no, I don’t think so. But do you really think…?” He was taken aback. This kid could use the Force to throw around a full grown Mudhorn. Surely he was bright enough to pick up on the fact that the person who’d kidnapped him, then saved him, then been around him practically every waking moment for weeks was the same regardless of his armor. But then, the only reason he’d let himself take the helmet off around the kid in the first place was because he’d assumed he was too young to count as sentient.

“Well I guess now you really are stuck with that thing on forever.” Cara’s face appeared again, looking amused. Her chin was resting on Omera’s shoulder.

For the first time in his life he wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about that. Whether or not he cared to admit it he’d bonded with the kid. The kid in turn had apparently bonded with…not him so much as the version of himself he allowed others to see. The warrior and the bounty hunter. The one who’d been willing to turn the kid over the damn Imperials in the first place. He hoped there was more to him than that. Hoped maybe the kid would be the one being in the galaxy who could see it.

Omera smiled kindly.

“I’m sure the little one will get used to it. Things just take time with children. There’s a lot to adjust to. For both of you.”

“Yeah, I guess.” He sank down into the pilot seat, as tired as he could ever remember feeling which was saying something considering how the past few weeks had gone. The Child cuddled closer, breath coming slow and even and creating little clouds of fog against his breastplate.

“Get some rest before you fly yourself into a sun, okay? We’re here if you need us.” Cara yawned theatrically and flopped back against the bed, pulling Omera down on top of her. Even with the armor and the low quality image over the com feed everything about her friend radiated exhaustion.

“We’re here for you, Dyn. If you need anything.”

Omera’s smile was the last thing he saw before the feed cut out. He smiled back even though she couldn’t see it, then settled in to stare at the stars.


End file.
